Where is Communities on PS4?

In a move that likely signals the start of PS4’s wind-down, Sony will remove Communities from the console next month. The feature will be replaced with messaging functions available through the PlayStation app and consoles themselves.

Communities first debuted on the PS4 in 2015 as a way for players to connect with others with similar interests in games and beyond. It’s unclear why Sony is choosing to shutter the service.

How to find communities

Communities are on-console groups for players who share the same passions. They allow players to post messages, create parties and play games together. They were first introduced in 2015 as part of PS4 system software 3.00.

Sony has announced that it will be shutting down its PlayStation Communities feature next month. In a statement, the company thanks users for their support of the feature over the years but says that it is focusing on messaging options and the PlayStation App moving forward.

The decision doesn’t make a lot of sense, as communities have provided a great way for gamers to meet people who share their passions. Hopefully, Sony will find a way to bring this feature back in the future. In the meantime, gamers can still use existing Communities until April 2021. Then, they will be shelved for good.

How to join communities

Communities is a social system that lets you find players with similar interests and play games together. It was first introduced in 2015 as part of PS4 system update 3.00, and its wind-down was signaled last year when the ability to create private Communities was removed (though public communities continued).

The writing has been on the wall for Communities for some time now. Sony got rid of the Communities app for iOS and Android last year and rolled out the new all-in-one PlayStation app alongside the launch of the PS5 that did not include any Communities features.

In a statement, Sony confirmed that it will be removing support for Communities on PS4 in April 2021. However, players will still be able to use the messaging features on their consoles and the PlayStation app.

How to create communities

Communities is a feature that allows gamers to join groups on the PlayStation 4 that focus on specific games or interests. These groups are public and can be joined by any player. Players can also communicate with others in the group using messaging and other services. Sony is phasing out the Communities feature on the PS4 in order to focus more attention on its successor console, the PS5.

The company announced that it would be shutting down the feature in an email to users and through its patch notes for the PS4 system software update 8.5 beta. It is unclear what will replace Communities, but it’s likely that the company will focus on messaging and game sessions as replacements. Players will be able to access their communities until April 2021 when the feature will be shuttered. It’s a sad development, but it’s not a surprise given that the company shelved the Communities app and did not include it on its new all-in-one PlayStation app with the launch of the PS5 last year.

How to manage communities

The writing was on the wall for Communities when Sony removed its Communities mobile app and rolled out its all-in-one PlayStation App alongside the launch of PS5 last year. Now the company has sent out an email letting users know that PlayStation Communities will be shutting down starting April 2021.

Sony will be encouraging players to continue interacting via its messaging features on PS4 and the PlayStation App, but it’s unlikely that the social aspect of gaming will be replaced with a feature like Communities. The end of support for the feature shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as Sony began winding down the service last year by removing the ability to create private games and limiting community creation on the public forums. It also refocused the messaging functionality of the console with changes to party chat and Game Base on the new system software. Nevertheless, the loss of Communities is a big blow for fans looking to connect with others who share their passion for certain games.